The Locals’ Guide to Far-Flung Places
Cabin fever getting you down? Hop a nonstop flight to one of these eight exciting foreign destinations. Your guides: eight Chicagoans who know the lay of the land like natives.
Ad Categories: Travel
San Salvador, El Salvador
Take a beach vacation in a coffee lovers’ paradise
Turks and Caicos
Dive a pristine barrier reef
Finally, Local Skiing that Doesn’t Suck
Illustration: John Kenzie Slope bums in Chicago have long faced a sad truth: Quality skiing is a long drive north or a flight west. Enter (massively upgraded) Wilmot Mountain, just over the Wisconsin border. Last winter, Vail Resorts acquired the property, which is about an hour from the city, and overhauled it in the off-season. … Read more
First Look: Chicago's New Robey Hotel and Hollander Hostel
Opening tomorrow, these Wicker Park spots offer design-forward lodging options, a uniquely beautiful rooftop view, and relaxed public spaces for locals.
Four Great Winter Staycations
Fact: Hotels get creative to stay booked in the coldest months. Here are four of the season’s most inventive packages.
Best AirBnBs for a Staycation
Photo: B R Lillie Photography Pilsen Cabinet of Curiosities The basics:Sleeps six; from $162 The low-down:A sculpture with a giraffe’s head on an octopus’s body? Why not. It’s just one of the oddball details in this artist-designed space. Photo: Mikel Pickett Kenwood Mansion The basics:Sleeps four; from $150 The low-down:The Obamas may have forsaken their … Read more
9 Ways to Survive Chicago’s Airport Mess
Insane TSA security lines at Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway The Savvy Traveler's Guide to Chicago Airports," June 2015
Eau Claire, WI
Nestled in the forests of western Wisconsin is an audio artist’s paradise, anchored by homegrown indie acts such as Bon Iver, S. Carey, and Field Report. Eau Claire—yes, Eau Claire—is home to a rising music scene, thanks to a constant influx of new talent from the local University of Wisconsin satellite (and its top-notch music program) and an industrious base of performers who broke big and never left. (When’s the last time Justin Vernon played a free concert at your neighborhood park?)
Louisville
Louisville has done the seemingly impossible: reinvented eclectic neighborhoods while keeping chains largely at bay. The rising wave of vintage and antiques shops reflects the city’s distinct character as the merging point of the South and the Midwest and the hub of bourbon and horse countries. Here, a curated guide to getting the most from Louisville’s main antiques districts.